Cloth-piling machine



P. W. BIDWELL. CLOTH FILING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1921.

9 n F. a L f S ATTORNEYS P. W. BIDWELL. CLOTH FILING MACHINE. VAPPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1921.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

Patented Get. 24, 1922..

warren stares earner oreice.

PAUL wieInwELL, preemi ence, iaassncnnsnrrs, nsslenonro be. rnnnrus & son, INQ, or HoLYoKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A conron-arron or mnssaorrusntr'rs.

CLOTH-FILING MACHINE.

Application filed May 26, 1921. Serial No. 472,821.

T 0 all-whom it may concern Be it known that 1, PAUL lV. BIDWELL, citizen of the United States, residing at Easthamptomin the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cloth-Piling Machines, of which the following is a specification, I

This invention relates to cloth piling machines, such as are used for piling or laying cloth in kiers or vats in which certain steps in the processes of bleaching, dyeing or scouring of the cloth are carried out.

More particularly, the invention. relates to machines designed to receive cloth or other fabric delivered thereto, in rope form and in wet condition, from some earlier stage of treatment and which operate to feed the rope of cloth continuously into a dye vat, a bleaching kier, or the like, and to guide and control its movements, as it is being fed, so that it will be regularly and compactly laid or piled in the vat or kier according to some definite plan of arrangement.

The object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in the construction and mode of operation of machines ofthe general character above indicated, tending to simplify them and render them more eflicient and reliable in operation.

.To this end, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

The machine of the present invention opcrates to lay a rope of cloth in regular loops or folds extending transversely across the vat or kier, the loopsbeingprogressively laid beside one another to form a layer or course reaching from one end of the vat to the other. The machine then operates to lay, in. thereverse direction, a second layer or course upon the first, the second layer being also composed of transverse loops arranged in the same manner as in the first course. A third course is thenlaid upon the second course, andso on, until the courses or layers ultimately forma pile of cloth rope so built up as to be well adapted for the chemical if desired, the machine may, by suitable adjustments or minor changes in the construct1on of its parts, be equally well adapted to lay the loops of cloth lengthwise of the vat.

Accordingly, Wherever in the specification and claims the terms transtcrsef longitudinal or the like occur, it is to be understood that these are terms of description and not of limitation.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and to the followingdescription of the construction therein shown.

In the drawings, which illustrate what is now considered to be the preferred form of the present invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of the entire machine; 7

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relation of the mechanism shown in. Fig. l to a vat or tank in which the cloth is to be piled;

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a preferred arrangement of the loops of cloth composing a single layer or course;

Fig. 1' is a view in side elevation of the machine, a portion thereof being broken away to disclose parts of the mechanism otherwise hidden from view;

Fig. 5 is anelevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in. Fig. 1, looking from left to right in said figure, certain parts being broken away and others shown in sectionfor purposes of illustration; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises in general a pair of parallel horizontal tracks 8 adapted to be mounted, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 2 immediately above a vat or tank 10 in which the cloth is to be piled, said tracks extending lengthwise, of the tank and adjacent the opposite sides thereof; a carriage 12 movable on said tracks from one end of the tank to the other; a drum 14 rotatably mounted on the carriage 12 for slowly feeding the rope of cloth into the tank, the drum extending transversely above the tank and being continuously rotated during the cloth-piling operation by means of a motor 16 mounted. upon said carriage; a pair of transverse tracks 18 supported upon the carriage 12; a second carriage 20, movable back and forth on the transverse tracks 18; a piling-eye 22 carried by the second carria e 20 for guiding the rope of cloth from side to side. of the tank as the cloth feeds over the drum 1%; mechanism for automatically reciprocating the carriage 20 carrying the piling-eye, said mechanism including a screw-shaft 241; rotated alternately in opposite directions from the drum let through the medium of a clutch controlled reversible driving device indicated generally at 26 in Fig. 5; and mechanism including a clutch-controlled reversible driving device 28 (Figs. 4 and 5) for imparting step-by-step movements in one di rection to the carriage 12 to advance said carriage gradually throughout the length of the tank 10 and thereafter imparting stepby-step movements inthe opposite direction tothe carriage 12 to return it gradually to the opposite end of the tank.

As shown, the tracks 8 which support the carriage 12 consist of I-beams which are supported, by any suitable means, in a horizontal plane above the vat or tank 10. Advantageously, said tracks may be arranged closely adjacent the top of the tank, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and they are disposed in parallelism with the side walls of the tank. The tracks 8 are located adjacent the outer sides of these walls in order to provide for the laying of the loops of cloth completely across the vat.

The carriage 12, as best shown in Fig. 1, comprises a rectangular frame having opposlte side members each composed of a pair of I-beams 82 which. extend lengthwise with respect to the tank 10 and suitable trans verse connecting bars, one of which is inclicated at 34 in'Fig. 1. The carriage 12 is provided with four flanged wheels or rollers 36 which are mounted adjacent the four corners of the carriage. The wheels 36 are severally arranged between the pairs of I-beams 32 constituting the opposite side members of the carriage. The pair of wheels 36 which are located at the right side of the carriage as viewed in Fig.1, are secured to opposite ends of an axle 38 while the other two wheels 36 are secured to the opposite ends of an axle 420, the axles 38 and 40 being arranged to turn in journal boxes 12- secured to the under sides of the I-beams .32

The drum 1%, which feeds the rope of cloth 1nto the tank 10, consists of a pair of? disks 46 which are rigidly in spaced-apart relation upon a horizontal transverse shaft 48 and a series of slats 50 arranged in spacedapart relation and extending from one disk 4L6 to the other. ranged parallel to the axles 38 and 40 and is journaled, adjacent its opposite ends, in bearings secured to the upper sides of the I-beams 32. The drum 1% is continuously rotated during the operation of the machine by means of the motor 16. 0 this end, the drum-shaft 48 has rigidly secured thereto a sprocket-chain 56 with a sprocket-wheel 58 which is fast upon the armature-shaft of the motor 16. The rope of cloth which is being operated upon being usually in a wet condition, is quite heavy and by reason of the construction and spaced-apart relation of the drum slats 50 there is no tendency for the latter to slip beneath the cloth as the drum rotates, and thus a continuous feed of the cloth into the vat is assured.

The carriage l2 already described, is moved step-by-step along the tracks 8 to cause the loops of cloth to be progressively laid throughout the length of the vat by means actuated by the reciprocating movements of the carriage 20 which carries the piling-eye, and accordingly the construction and mode of operation of said carriage 20 will next be described.

The piling-eye carriage 20 is mounted to be reciprocated on the transverse tracks 18, these tracks comprising a pair of I-beams which extend at right angles to the I-beams 32 and are rigidly secured. to the upper sides of the latter. The carriage 20 consists of body portion 62 (Fig. 5)"upon which are mounted four flanged wheels or rollers 64 that are arranged to roll on the tracks 18.

The piling-eye 22 is mounted in a holder or bracket 66 rigidly secured to the upper side of the carriage body 62. The piling-eye may advantageously be composed of porcelain inasmuch as this material has been found particularly adapted to resist wear and the chemical action to which the cloth issubjected. An eye composed of such material also tends to insure a smooth and easy feed of the rope of cloth without danger of injury thereto.

The piling-eye carriage 20 is reciprocated by the action of the screw-shaft 24, which extends between and parallel to the tracks 18 and is threaded through a nut 67 (Fig. rigidly securedto the under side of the carriage. The opposite ends of the screw-shaft 24 are not threaded but are journaled in bearings 68 on the I-beams 82. The screwshaft isadapted to be rotated alternately in opposite directions by the reversible driving devices 26 which are. in turn connected with the drum-shaft 48 so as to be driven by the motor 16. Instead of employing reversible driving devices however, the screw shaft The drum shaft 48 is an may be provided with double or right and left threads, extending throughout the length of traverse of the carriage, a pair of p'awls may be provided on the carriage for engaging said threads, respectively, and suitable provision made whereby one pawl shall be maintained operative until the carriage reaches the limit of its movement in one direction and then said pawl shall be automatically disengaged from said threads and the other part rendered operative. If such constructlonbe employed, the screw-shaft may be rotated continuously in one direction throughout the operation of the machine.

Also, if found desirable, a separate motor may be provided for supplying power to reciprocate the piling-eye carriage independently of the drum 14. i

The reversible driving devices 26 for the screw shaft 24 are mounted. within a rectangular housing ca"ried by the carriage 12. These driving devices comprise a short horizontal shaft 72 (Figsgii and which is journaled adjacent its opposite ends in the side walls of the housing 70.: During the operafion of the machine from the drumshaft 48 through a chain drive comprising a sprocket-wheel 74, secured to one end of the shaft 72, a sprocketwheel 76 secured to the corresponding end of the drumeshaft 48, and a sprocket-chain 78 passing over said sprocket-wheels; The action of the driving devices 26 is controlled. by means of a clutch comprising a driving clutch-member or sleeve 80' (Fig. 5) which is splined for 1011 gitudinal sliding movement on the shaft 72, and a pair of co-operating dfliven clutch members 82 and 8 1 which are formed on the sides of a pairof spur-gears 86 and 88, respectively, the latter being loosely mounted upon the shaft 72adjacent the opposite side walls of the housing 70. To enable the driving cluch member or sleeve 80 to cooperatewith the driven clutch members 852, and 8 1., clutch teeth are formed upon the opposite end faces thereof which are adapted to co-operatively engage corresponding clutch teeth formed on the adjacent faces of the respective driven clutch members. gear 86 meshes directly with a pinion 90 (F which is fast on the screw-shaft 2 1, while the gear 88 meshes with an idler gear 9:2, the latter being loosely mounted between suitable positioning collars upon a shaft 94 that is journaled in the side walls of the housing .70 below the screw-shaft. The idler 92. inturn, meshes with a pinion 96 which is secured to the screa shaft.

.lWith the above-described construction,

when the driving clutch member 80 is in engagement with the driven clutch member 82,, as shownin Fig.5. the gear 86 is connected with the continuously rotating shaft the housing 70.

ment with the driven clutch member ment.

The i 1110 (best shown in 1). slide rod 110 is pivoted at 112 to the weighted pinion the screw-shaft in. direction top-1; ig-eye away 1'??- .ien, on the other hand, the driving clutch member 80 is in en "rotating shaft 72 and operates through the idler gear 92 and the pinion 96, to: ate the screw-shaft 2a in the opposite direction, thereby reversing the direction of movement of the piling-eye and moving its carriage across the tracks 18 toward the housing 7 0.

The means for shifting the driving clutch member 80 to effect the reversal in the direction of movement of the rig-eye comprises a yolce 1100 (Figs. 5 and 6) which straddles the driving clutch sleeve 80 and is provided, at the free ends of the yoke arms, with inwardlydirected projections which enter an annular groove 102 in said driving clutch sleeve 80. [it its inner end, the yoke is rigidly secured to a mole snaft 104:,d1ll6 latter being arranged at right-angles to the'shaft 72 and the screwshaft, and adapted to turn in bearings in the end walls of the housing '70. One end of the rock-shaft 104;e-ntends outside of the housing; 'YOand has, rigidly secured thereto an upwardly-extending arm 106 carrying. a weight 108 at its upper extremity.

lVhen the driving clutch member 80 is in engagement withthe driven clutch member '82, the weighted arm 106 is positioned as Shown in Fig. 5, the weight 108 then being at. the same side of the rock-shaft 1041 as the clutch membeizso that the weight tends to maintain said clutch members in engage on the other hand, when the driving clutch member 80 is in engagement with the driven clutch member 841- the weighted arm 106 has been shifted to position the weight 108. at the opposite side of the rockshaft 104:, in which case the weight will then operate to maintain the engagement of the clutch member 80 with the clutch member 88.

The weighted aun 106 is adapted to be shifted from one to the other of the abovedescribedpositions by means of a slide-rod One end of the arm 106, while thejopposite end of said slide rod is supported in a slide'bearing 114C secured to the side of one of the tracks 18. In order that the slide-rod 110 may be actnated by movements of the piling-eye carriage, two collars 116 and 118 are rigidly but adjustably secured to said'slide-rod adjacent itsopposite ends. The collar 116 is adapted to be engaged by a finger 120 depending from one endof the carriage 20, while the collar 1183is adapted to be engaged by a finger 122 depending from the opposite end I of the carriage 20. The fingers 120 and 72 and operates,"through the intermeshing 122 are severally slotted to straddle the opposite direction.

relatively to the'fingers 120 and 122,- re-.

spectively, that the collar 116 will be engaged by the finger 120 as the carriage 2O approaches the limit of its movement in one direction, while the collar 118 will be engaged by the finger 122 as the carriage 20 approaches the limit of its movement in the After engagement of either of the fingers 120 or 122 with the respectivecollars 116 or 118, the. carriage 2O continues to move short distance so as to shift the slide-rod 110 longitudinally an amount suilicient to swing the weighted arm 106 to disengage the driving clutch member from" the driven clutch member engaged thereby and to shift it into engagement with the other driven clutch member. Thus, when the carriage 20 is moving in the direction of the arrows 12-1 in Figs. 1 and ,5, as it will be when the clutch members 80 and 86 are positioned as shown in the latter figure, the slide-rod 110 will be positioned with the collar 118 in the path of movement of the finger 122, and as the carriage approaches the limit of its movement in this direction said figure. will engage said collar, the slide-rod willbe shifted, and the weighted armv 106, together with the driving clutch member 80gwill be shifted so that said clutch member will be disengaged from the driven clutch member 82 and brought into engagement with the driven clutch member 8 1. The movement of the carriage 20 will therefore be arrested, and then the carriage will be started in the opposite direction. 1 When the carriage reaches the opposite limit of its movement in the direction, the finger 120 will engage the collar 116 and the slide-rod 110 will be shifted in a direction toeffec t the disengagement of the driving clutch member 80 from the driven clutch member 8 1 and its engagement with the driven clutch member 82,'thereby again reversing the direction of movement of the carriage 80.

By adjusting the collars. 116 and 118 on the slide-rod 110, the extent of travel in each direction of the carriage 20 may be varied,

thus varying the length of the transverse stretches of, cloth laid in the vat. In this distance sufficient to move the piling-eye22 e0.

rocating movement so that upon the return .movement of the carriage 20 the piling-eye at right angles to the direction of its recip will lay a transverse stretch of the cloth rope;alongside that laid by its preceding .movement. .1

111 order thatthe transverse stretches of cloth may be laid progressively, one inadvance of the other throughout'the length of the vat, the carriage 12 is stepped along the tracks 8 by means of the reversible driving mechanism 28 which operates to rotate the axle 10 intermittently in one direction until the carriage 12has reached one end of? the vat and then to rotate said axle intermittently in the opposite dir etion until said carriage reaches the other. end of the vat. A portion of the driving mechanism 28 is mounted within a rectangular housing 28 (Figs. 1, 1 and 5) which is carried by the carriage 12. This mechanism includes a short horizontal shaft 130 extending through the housing 128, in adirection parallel to the tracks 8, said shaft being journaled, ad acent its opposite ends, in the side walls of said housing. The shaft 130 is. adapted to be rotated through successive partial. rotations by mechanism controlled by the movements of piling eye carriage 20, as will be hereinafter explained.

Loosely mounted upon theyshaft 130, within the housing 128, are two beveled gears 132 and 13 1 arranged withtheir two faces opposed. Both the gears 132 and 134 are continuously in mesh with a beveled pinion 136 (Fig. which is secured to one end of the axle 10. of the carriage 12. The two beveled gears 132 and 13 1 are adapted to be selectively connected to rotate with the shaft-130 by means of a clutch comprising a doubleacting driving clutch member or sleeve .138 which is splined to the shai't130 longitudinal sliding movement thereon, two driving. clutch members 1 10 and which are formed on the opposed faces of the beveled gears 132 and .13 1, respec tively. The driving and driven clutch memhere just referred to are similar in construction and mode of operation to the corresponding clutch members which control the recip rocation of the piling-eye carriage 20. lVhen the driving clutch member 138 is in engage ment with the driven clutch member 1 10, a step movement from left to right (viewing Figs. 1 and 41) will be imparted to the carriage 12 at each partial rotation of the shaft 72. These step movements of the carriage 12 occur successively until the cariage 12 reaches the right-hand end of the vat 10, whereupon the driving clutch member 138 is shifted intoengagement with the driven clutch 13%, thereby effecting a partial rotation in the reverse direction of the axle 1 1 at each succeeding partial rotationof the shaft 130 so that the carriage 12 will be moved stepby step toward the left-h and side of the vat.

7 The means for intermittently rotating shaft 130 comprises a ratchet-wheel 1&6 5) that is secured" to one end of the shaft 130 outside of the housing 128, and a aeat neaa is adapted to engage the and for

rigidly but adjustably secured thereto ad jac'ent its opposite ends. The collar 158 is provided with an upward projection 159 and as the carriage 20 approaches the far side of the machine (viewing .Fig. 1) this projection 159 is engaged by a finger162 projecting from the side of the carriage. After the finger 162 engages the projection 159' on the collar-158,the carriageQOcontinues its movement sutliciently to-shift the rod 154 in a direction to rock the pawl-carrying arm 150, and thereby rotate the ratchet-wheel 146 through the space of one tooth. This causes the carriage 12 to beshifted one step so that upon its return movement a stretch of cloth will be laid in the vat alongside of the preceding stretchto form a loop, as hereinbeforedescribed. Immediately after the carriage 20 has started its return movement. the pawl-carrying arm 150 and the rod 154 are returned to their normal positions by the actionof a weight164 carried byvan extension 166 of said pawl-carrying arm, so that the feed-pawl 148 is then ready to impart another feed-movement to the ratchetwheel 145.

As the piling-eye carriage 20 approaches the near side of the machine 1 (viewing Fig. 1) it is necessary to slide the rod 154 in the same direction as before to again step ahead the ratchet-wheel 146- To thisend, thecollar 146 on the rod 154 is provided with a depending pin 168 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) and this pin 168'is adapted to be engaged by one end of'a horizontal rockermember 170 which is pivoted at 172 upon-a portion of the carriage 12. The rockermember 170 is provided with an extension 174 and is normally maintained, by the action of the weight 164, with said extension in the path of a pin 176 depending from the under side of the carriage 120. When the carriage20 approaches the limit of its movement toward the near side of the machine (viewing Fig. 1), the pin 176 engages the extension 174 of the rocker member 176, thereby rocking said memberand sliding the rod 154 in a direction to actuate the feed pawl 148 so as to rotate the ratchet-wheel 146. This operation causes the'carriage 12 to be again stepped ahead in the same direction as before. As thepiling-eye carriage 20 starts its movement in the reverse direction, the weight 164 acts, as hereinbefore described, to return the pawl 148 to normal position ment. v

When a series of successive feed movements have brought the carriage 12 to one end of the vatlO, the driving clutch memher 138 is shifted to reverse the direction of the step movements of the next'series. The shifting of the driving clutch member 138 is effected by means includinga yoke 180 (Figs. 4 and 5) which straddles the driving oreparatory to its next feed moveclutch member 138 and carries at the free ends of its yoke arms a pair of suitable inwardlydirected projections which enter an annular groove 182 in the driving'clutch member. 1 The clutch shifting yoke 180 is pivotally mounted upon a rod 184 extending through the housing 128 and is provided with a depending tail portion 186 having a pin-and-notch connection with the upper end of a rocker member 188, the'latter being pivoted at 190 to a curved bracket 191 'depending from the lower side of the housing 128. Below the pivot 190, the rocker member 188 is bifurcated, as indicated in'Fig. 5, to straddle a horizontal rod 192 that is stationarily supported beneath one of the tracks 8. Rigidly but adjustably secured, adjacent one end of the rod 192 is a collar 194 adapted to be'engaged by the bifurcated end or" the rocker member 188, as the carriage nears the corresponding end of the vat 10. A similar collar 196 is rigidly but adjustably secured to the rod 192 adjacent its opposite end, this collar being adapted to be engaged by said rocker member as the carriage 12 nears the opposite end of the machine. The continued movement of the carriage 12, after the rocker member 188 engages either of the collars 194 or 196, is sutlicient to actuate said member and thereby rock the clutchshifting yoke 180 to shift the driving clutch member 138 away from the driven clutch member engaged thereby and into engagement with the other oriven clutch member. The collars 194 and 196 may be adjusted on the rod 192 to vary the distance traveled in either direction by the carriage 12 in accordance with the length of the vat in which the cloth is to be piled.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that after a suflic'ient number of step movements have been imparted to the carriage 12 to bring it to either end of the vat 10, the driving clutch member 188 is shifted to cause the series of succeeding step-movements to advance said carriage in the oppo site direction. Between each step-movement, the piling-eye carriage 20 moves transversely across the vat, as i already described, its alternate movements being in opposite di: rections. As aresult, therefore, of the combination of baok-and-forth transverse movements of the piling-eye and the interposed step movements of the carriage 20, each of which advances the piling-eye a short distance in the direction of the length of the tank, a series of transverse stretches of the cloth rope are progressively laid in side by side relation. from one end of the vat to the other, e. g. from left to right, thus making up one layer or course of substantially parallel stretches of cloth rope as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 3. After each layer-or course has been laid, the direction of the step movements of the carriage 12 is reversed by the automatic shifting ofthe driving clutch member 138 so that a series of succeeding stretches of cloth are progressively laid from right to left upon the first course. The superposing of the courses or layers of cloth in the vat continues until the pileof cloth has reached the required height for the performance of the dyeing, bleaching or other treatment to which the cloth is to be subjected.

Obviously, if it is desired to lay the rope of cloth longitudinally of the tank orvat,

this may be accomplished, Whenever the available space in the mill or factory per mits, by setting up the machine relatively to the tank so that the piling-eye carriage 20 will reciprocate in the direction of the length of the tank instead of transversely with respect thereto, and by making the necessary adjustments to properly regulate the length of the traversing movements, in each direction, of said carriage as well as the total distance traveled step-by-step by the carriage 12 before its direction of move ment is reversed.

WVhile is is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, it will be understood that such construction and arrangement are not essential except in so far as specified in the claims and may be changed or modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

l. A cloth piling machine having, in combination, a supporting frame, a'carriage reciprocable thereon, a second carriage reciprocable on the first carriage at right angles to the direction of movement of the first carriage, a piling eye on the second carriage, means for reciprocating the second carriage on the first carriage, a rotatable shaft carried by the first carriage, ratchet mechanism actuated by the second carriage for intermittently rotating said shaft, and means actuated by said shaft for intermittently moving the first carriage.

2. A cloth piling machine having, in combination, a supporting frame, a carriage reciprocable thereon, a second carriage re ciprocable on the first carriage at right angles to the direction of movement'of the first carriage, a piling eye on the second carriage, means for reciprocating the second carriage on the first carriage, a rotatable shaft carried by the first carriage, ratchet mechanism actuated by the second carriage as it approaches the limit of its movement in either direction for intermittently rotating said shaft, and means actuated by said shaft for advancing the first carriage at each intermittent rotation of said shaft.

3. A cloth piling machine having, in com bination, a supporting frame, a carrage reciprocable thereon, a second carriage reciprocable on the first carriage at right angles to the direction of movement of the first carriage, a piling eye on the second carriage, means for reciprocating the second carriage on the first carriage, a rotatable shaft carried by the first carriage, ratchet mechanism actuated'by the second carriage as it approaches the limit of its movement in either direction for intermittently rotating said shaft,'means actuated by said shaft during a predetermined number of traversing movements of the second carriage for advancing the first carriage step-by-step in one direc-.

tion, and means actuated by said shaft during a predetermined number of traverslng movements of the second carriage for ad vancing the first carriage step-by-step in the reverse direction.

a. A cloth piling machine having, in combination, a supporting frame, a carriage reciprocable thereon, a second carriage reciprocable on the first carriage at right angles to the direction of movement of the first carriage, a piling eye on the second carriage, means for reciprocating the second carriage on the first carriage, a rotatable shaft carried by the first carriage, a ratchet wheel fast on said shaft, a feed pawl for intermittently rotating the ratchet wheel, an oscillatory arm carrying said pawl, means for effecting an oscillation of said arm in a direction to advance the ratchet wheel as the second carriage approaches the limit of its travel in either direction, means for oscillating said arm in the opposite direction to idly, retractthe feed pawl, and reversible driving mechanism actuated by the intermittent rotation of said shaft to advance the first carriage step-by-step.

5. A cloth piling machine having, incombination, a supporting frame, a carriage reciprocable thereon, a second carriage reciprocable on the first carriage at right angles to the direction of movement of the first carriage, piling eye on the second carriage, means for reciprocating the second carriage on the first carriage, a rotatable shaft carried by the first carriage, a ratchet wheel fast on'said shaft, a feed pawl for intermittently rotating the ratchet wheel, an oscillatory arm carrying said pawl, means for effecting an oscillation of said arm in a direction to advance the ratchet wheel as the second carriage approaches the limit of its travel in either direction, means for oscillating said arm in the opposite direction to idly retract the feed pawl, reversible driving mechanism actuated by the intermittentrotation of said shaft to advance, the first the opposite direction.

6. A cloth piling machine, in combination, a supporting frame, a carriage reciprocable thereon, a second carriage reciprocable on the first carriage at right angles to the direction of movement of the first carriage, a piling eye on the second carriage, means for reciprocating the second carriage 011 the first carriage, a rotatable shaft carried by the first carriage, a ratchet wheel fast on said shaft, a feed pawl for intermittently rotating the ratchet wheel, an oscillatory arm carrying said pawl, a slidable rod connected with said arm and extending alongside of the second carriage, abutments on said rod adjacent its opposite ends, a member projecting from the second carriage for engaging one of said abutments when said carriage approaches the limit on its movement in one direction to shift said rod to effect an advance of the ratchet wheel, a lever fulcrumed on the supporting frame for engaging the other of said abutments, a projection on the second carriage for rocking said lever as said carriage approaches the limit of its movement in the opposite direction, said lever being so constructed and arranged that when rocked by said projection it will shift said rod to again advance the ratchet wheel, and means actuated by said rotatable shaft for intermittently moving the first carriage.

7. A cloth piling machine having, in combinatiom'a pair of parallel tracks, a carriage having wheels adapted to roll on said tracks, a drum rotatable on said carriage,

, transverse tracks on said carriage, a second carriage on said transverse tracks, a piling eye on the second carriage, means for rotatingthe drum and reciprocating the second carriage on the first carriage, a rotatable shaft journaled in the first carriage, means for imparting a partial rotation to said shaft at the termination of each traversing movement of the second carriage, a driving clutch member slidable on said shaft, a pair of gears loosely mounted on said shaft on opposite sides of said clutch member, driven 8. A cloth-piling machine havin bination, a pair of parallel tr? flags on said tracks, a drum rotatable on said carriage, means for rotating the drum, a pair of transverse tracks on said carriage, a second carriage on said transverse tracks, a piling-eye mounted on the second carriage, a screw-shaft connected to traverse the second carriage, driving mechanism for rotating said shaft in either direction, means controlled by the position of the second carriage for reversing the direction of rotation of said shaft and means for imparting a series of step movements to the first carriage.

9. A cloth-piling machine having, in combination, a pair of parallel tracks, a carriage on said tracks, a drum rotatable on said carriage, means for rotating the drum, a pair of transverse tracks on said carriage, a second carriage on said transverse tracks, a piling-eye mounted on the second carriage. a screw-shaft for reciprocating the second. carriage, a continuously driven shaft, a driving clutch member slidable on said driven shaft, a pair of gears loosely mounted on said driven shaft on opposite sides of said clutch member, driven clutch members severally secured to said gears, gear fast on the screw-shaft in mesh with one of said gears, a second gear fast on the screw-shaft and connected with the other of said gears through an idler gear, means actuated by the second carriage for shifting the drivingclutch member alternately into engagement with said driven clutch members, and means for imparting a series ofrstep movements to the first carriage.

10. A cloth piling machine having, in combination, a pair of parallel tracks, a carriage on said tracks, a drum rotatable on said carriage, means for rotating the drum, pair of transverse tracks on said carriage, a second carriage on said transverse tracks, a piling-eye mounted on the second carriage, a screw-shaft for reciprocating the second carriage, a continuously driven shaft, a driving clutch member slidable on said driven shaft, driven clutch members loosely mounted on said driven shaft on opposite sides of the driving clutch member, and driving connections between said driven clutch mem bers and the screw shaft for rotating said screw shaft in one direction when one of said driven clutch members is in engagement with the driving clutch member and for rotating said screw shaft in the opposite direction when the other of said driven clutch members is in engagement with the ratchet mechanism actuated by the second carriage for intermittently rotating said 10 shaft. and means actuated by said shaft for intermittently moving the first carriage.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature v PAUL WV. BID'WELL. 

